As I write this, House Republican members are carrying on about gas prices again in the darkened House chamber.Representative Mike Culbertson is covering it for the rest of us on Qikking. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi is standing firm; no break in the recess and no vote on drilling: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday ruled out a vote on new offshore oil drilling even as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he might be open to a compromise that included it. The scramble over expanded drilling off America's coasts - ammunition for a weekend of rat-a-tat-tat by the presidential campaigns - underscores the political power of $4-a-gallon gas. Though President Bush and other backers of new drilling acknowledge it wouldn't directly affect gas prices for years, they have pounded Democrats for opposing the measure, which is now supported by most Americans. .Today's protest, while a little more subdued than the electrifying events of Friday, nevertheless show the...(Read Full Post)